A Broken Rebellion
by glaewen21
Summary: Harry must choose between love and friendship. As the rebellion against Voldemort rises to full height, Harry gains a new love interest with Draco Malfoy.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Severus…please." Begged Albus Dumbledore, slumped against the parapet of the astronomy tower. Harry forced to remain hidden under his invisibility cloak, pinned to the wall, taking in every moment of the event unfolding before him. His heart was pounding in his chest.

A flash of green light shot from Snape's wand like a gun and hit the Hogwarts headmaster in the chest. The second that the life disappeared from Dumbledore's eyes and the second he fell from the astronomy tower felt like two separate eternities for Harry as he watched on.

In that moment, Dumbledore's spell forcing Harry against the wall broke. Blind fury rose in Harry's heart and face. The group of death eaters disappeared into the castle. Harry threw down his invisibility cloak and sprinted after the death eaters. Adrenaline fueled Harry's every move as he sprinted down the stairs. The second he caught view of one of the black cloaks of the death eaters, Harry flicked his wand toward the ceiling, not even noticing he had managed to cast a nonverbal spell. The ceiling collapsed in an explosion on the group of death eaters. Debris filled the air blinding all within the vicinity. Harry blindly grabbed a body of a collapsed death eater and dragged them out of the rubble and started punching every inch of them he could.

After a minute, the body Harry had been pounding on woke up and began to fight back. Harry received a hard punch between his eyes. The punch was so powerful that it snapped Harry's glasses and they fell to the floor. Harry's world became a grey blur, but he took no notice and kept sparring with the death eater. The two wrestled until the debris became too heavy and they both were inhaling and choking on the debris. Both wheezing and grappling with each other, they made their way back up the stairs and they both fell through the door to the now deserted astronomy tower.

They both struggled to their feet. Harry squinted over at his opponent. He saw that it was a man covered in grey dust from the ceiling that Harry had caved in on his head. Harry saw that he was also covered in grey debris. But without his glasses, he could not make out who his opponent was. He took too much time wondering, for in that moment, the death eater was upon him. He was pinned to the wall in an instant. Now that the death eater was close to Harry's face, he could see it was Malfoy. Harry tried to overpower Malfoy by surging forward but to no avail. He was slammed back, painfully, against the wall. Harry closed his eyes and braced himself for a hard punch, but it did not come.

Harry opened his eyes to see Malfoy scowling at him. Malfoy's normally perfect, blond, gelled back hair was now grey and hanging in his face. His face was just as grey with the exception of blood from the wounds in his face made by Harry's punches. Harry took the opportunity to spit in Malfoy's face. "Do it" Harry croaked, followed by a fit of coughing up small clouds of dust and spitting up a glob of blood, "Do it, you coward."

This seemed to anger Malfoy further but still he did nothing. The two young men stood panting and glaring at each other. The world went silent. Not even the sounds of shouts from the battles in the stairwells and corridors below could be heard. Harry tried to surge forward once more and once more Malfoy slammed him against the wall. This time Harry's head hit the stone wall behind him and he saw stars.

Malfoy took this opportunity to do what Harry had least expected: He kissed Harry firmly on the lips. When Malfoy kissed Harry, he let go of Harry's shoulders and clasped his hands on each of Harry's cheeks, but Harry was too shocked to take advantage of being freed. Neither could've said how long the kiss was. When it finally ended, Malfoy rested his head against Harry's. He let out a sound that sounded like a sob and then disappeared back into the castle.

Harry was shocked and breathless. He sank to the ground. He felt an explosion of heat inside of him. What was this feeling? Surprisingly, Harry was not angry. He knew that for sure. It was nothing like the tingling excitement he got when he kissed Ginny for the first time. This was a flood, an erupting volcano, a magnificent lightning storm lighting up the night sky. Harry felt like he was fit to burst into tears, into laughter. The world was spinning around him. Only one word came to Harry's mind: love. How could he feel love for a man let alone his enemy, Draco Malfoy? If this feeling was love, did that mean that he didn't love Ginny? His heart pounded in his chest with a new sense of urgency. He needed to see Draco.

Harry got to his feet and went inside the castle. The dust in the air had cleared and there was no sign of the death eaters. He slowly descended the stairs and picked up his wand and pocketed it. He then caught the blurry outline of his glasses lying on the stairs. He picked them up with both hands expecting to find it in two pieces since they had snapped beneath Draco's punch. But when he picked them up, Harry found that his glasses had been repaired. Harry put on his glasses and ran back up to the astronomy tower and looked down upon the courtyard below. He saw several black and grey specs racing across the courtyard. Harry sprinted back into the castle and down the stairs, leaping over the debris of the collapsed ceiling. He ran faster than he had ever run before. Everything was a blur around him. At some point, he heard someone yell "Harry!" but he ignored them.

Harry reached the great hall. There was destruction everywhere and the front doors were left wide open. He sped through them and across the courtyard. Harry ran and ran down the path towards the Hogwarts gates. He thought he could make out a few grey figures at the gates, but once he reached the gates himself, they had vanished. Harry cursed loudly and kicked the gate.

On his way back to the castle, Harry suddenly became aware of how exhausted he was. His walking slowed and he was dragging his feet. When he reached the courtyard, he saw that there was a large group that had gathered. Harry reached the group and squeezed past everyone. When he got to the front of the gathering, he saw the limp, lifeless body of Albus Dumbledore. Harry fell to his knees beside Dumbledore and wept. He noticed the locket that they had risked everything to find in Dumbledore's lifeless hand. Harry took it and opened it. Inside was a note. Harry read it and threw the locket against the wall and shouted in fury, heartbreak, and hopelessness and wept harder.

"Harry." Said a soft voice behind him. Harry recognized the voice as Ginny's but did not turn to look at her. She took his hand and he allowed her to lead him away from Dumbledore's body and into the castle. She guided him up to the Hospital Wing where they found all of the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix gathered around a hospital bed. In the bed lay Bill Weasley with bloody bandages covering his face. Everyone turned to stare at Harry as he and Ginny entered the room. Harry looked disheveled. He was covered in debris with blood and tears streaking his face. Harry looked at the group staring at him but he did not see them. Ginny pulled over a chair for him and he sat slumped in the chair, grateful to not have to stand any longer.

Harry let Ginny tell the Order that Dumbledore was dead. There were gasps and tears and all eyes went to Harry, waiting for more of an explanation. They knew that he was traveling with Dumbledore tonight. "It was Snape." Said Harry, then he got up and walked out of the room, ignoring all of the gasps and questions. Harry didn't feel like talking to anyone. Anyone but one person. The one person he couldn't talk to.

Harry climbed up the many stairs back up to the astronomy tower. He stood at the parapet and let the wind whip at his hair. More tears rolled down his cheeks, cleaning the debris from his face. He was forlorn, but at the same time, a fire burned inside him. He would not rest until Voldemort was dead, and he would not rest until he found Draco.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Harry had remained quiet for days. He went to classes, ate small portions at mealtimes, and kept to himself in his spare time. As a matter of fact, Harry turned to studying for finals for small comfort. He knew no one would bother him if he was studying. He took that time to savor the silence and solitude, and he studied at a secluded table in the library out of sight so he didn't have to suffer the stares of not just his friends, but everyone in Hogwarts. Word had traveled fast about what had happened the night of Dumbledore's death. Harry's part in that night varied with each rumor circulating but everyone knew he had been involved somehow.

After several failed attempts to talk to Harry, Ron and Hermione finally resigned to give Harry his space. Ginny, however, kept trying, and when Harry didn't respond, she'd sit in silence with him. She'd give him back rubs and kiss him good night every night. Harry never told her, but the physical contact was comforting for him and he'd wish she'd hold him all night. What Harry didn't know was that Ginny could tell that it calmed him. Ginny knew Harry. He didn't have to speak to let her know his feelings. She somehow always knew. His feelings for Ginny confused Harry. He knew that he was in love with Draco Malfoy, but he still had feelings for Ginny.

Harry wanted the comforting contact, but he knew that he had to put an end to it. He couldn't keep leading her on like this. Harry didn't know how to break up with Ginny. It made his heart ache to think about it, so he kept putting it off. These feelings confused him and made him want to talk even less. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts and figure what all of his feelings meant. He spent many an evening on the astronomy tower when there wasn't a class in session. The wind in his hair felt cleansing to him.

It was the day of Dumbledore's funeral and the last day at Hogwarts for students. Harry packed his belongings into his trunk and dressed up in his dress robes. He walked down to the grounds with Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville. Luna caught up with them in the Great Hall. They talked amongst themselves but Harry and Ginny said little. They walked slightly ahead of the group, holding hands. Every witch and wizard Harry had every known and then some had come to the funeral and were showing their respects to Dumbledore's coffin. Harry admired the beautiful white marble that the coffin was made of. Once it was Harry's turn to pay his respects to the coffin, everyone's eyes were upon him. Harry put a hand on the coffin and bowed his head. Tears started to drop to the base of the coffin. Normally Harry would have been embarrassed by everyone seeing him cry, but he was so emotionally drained, that he didn't care. Ginny took his hand and they walked to their seats towards the back.

Throughout the funeral, Harry held Ginny's hand. Tears streamed down his face and in the corner of his eye, he could see that both Ron and Hermione were crying as well. Ron put his arm around Hermione. On his other side, Ginny remained strong. Maybe she was being strong for Harry, or maybe it was because she was generally a strong person. The last speaker finished and Dumbledore's coffin was set to float forevermore on the Hogwarts lake. People started to stand and comfort one another and reminisce about the great Albus Dumbledore.

"Ginny." Said Harry suddenly. His voice was hoarse from lack of use. He heard Hermione gasp beside him. Harry paid no attention to her or Ron. He needed to do this. "I don't think we should see each other anymore."

"Why?" asked Ginny. "Is it for some stupid noble reason?"

"No." said Harry. He had to put it into words somehow. "I love you…but I'm not in love with you. Am I making sense at all?"

"No. Why so suddenly? What have you been doing with me for the past few nights if you weren't in love with me?" Harry could hear emotion rise in Ginny's voice.

"I thought I was in love with you. I really did. Ginny, I'm so sorry." Every word that came out of his mouth was a dagger in his heart, but he knew it needed to be done.

"I don't believe you."

"Ginny, I'm telling you the truth. I swear."

"Is…Is there someone else?"

"What?" The question was like a slap in the face. He wasn't expecting her to know.

"There's my answer, right there." Said Ginny. She gave him a smile and squeezed his hand. Harry could see the pain in her eyes though, and he couldn't bear to look at it any longer. "I just want you to be happy. That's what I've always wanted since the day we met at King's Cross. But I can't bear to not have you in my life. I'll be here for you Harry. Don't worry about me. Go to her. Tell her how you feel if you haven't already. I hope you will be very happy together. Just don't tell me who it is. I can't bear it right now. Please?"

"Okay." Said Harry, not daring to tell her that it was a man, let alone Draco Malfoy he was choosing over her, "I'm so sorry, Ginny. I love you."

"And I love you, Harry. I always will." She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, stood up, and walk away back into the castle.

Harry let out a sigh that was half relief and half sadness. He looked over and saw Hermione looking at him with wide eyes. He knew she must have a million questions for him. None that he wanted to answer. Ron, on the other hand, was red in the face and looked like he wanted to punch Harry in the face. Harry almost wanted Ron to punch him in the face. Some physical pain might distract from the emotional pain. But instead, Harry rose and walked towards the lake, hoping nobody would follow him. He thought about Draco and the kiss they shared on the astronomy tower. He wondered if and how they would ever be together. Did he just give up on one of the best things to ever happen to him for a potential disaster? Malfoy was a death eater now. He revealed his tattoo to Dumbledore on the astronomy tower. How could Harry be with a death eater? Was Draco a true death eater or was he coerced into being a death eater by his parents and Voldemort? Question after question raced through Harry's mind. He started to panic and his breathing was restricted. It felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest. Harry fell to his knees, wheezing and choking, trying to get a full breath of air. Tears ran down his cheeks without him realizing.

It started to rain and everyone either disapparated or ran into the castle. Harry was stuck on his knees struggling to breathe and gain control. "Harry?" said a soft comforting voice. Harry looked up and saw Hermione standing before him in the pouring rain. Harry had an instant thought of hiding so she wouldn't see him like this, but he felt so tired. He was tired of hiding and closing himself off from everyone.

"Help me." Harry pleaded.

"Oh Harry." She wrapped her arms around him and without warning, Harry started to sob. He sobbed for Dumbledore, he sobbed for losing Ginny, he sobbed for an impossible love that ate him up inside. "It'll be ok." Hermione whispered in his ear, and he started to be able to breathe again. "It'll be ok." Harry repeated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note from Author:** Sorry it took so long to get this next chapter out guys. I went through a very painful breakup and it took some time to get back into the groove. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 3**

Hermione tried her hardest to talk to Harry that day to find out what was torturing him so much and who this other person was. She originally had thought the loss of Dumbledore was what was keeping Harry silent and distant, but now it was made clear to her that this was only part of the reason. Ron was furious with Harry for dumping his sister and breaking her heart for someone else. He stormed into the castle after his sister to comfort her right after the funeral while Hermione followed Harry. _He can't help it if he's fallen in love with someone else_ she thought, _It's clearly torturing him. He needs support from his friends._ This was what she thought as she held Harry close in the pouring rain. Hermione felt relieved that he at least tried to reach out to her even if he didn't know how to articulate his pain (or was afraid to).

Long after everyone had dissaparated or disappeared into the castle, Harry pulled himself together, and he and Hermione walked back to the castle sopping wet from the rain. Harry and Hermione came through the portrait hole and into the common room to find Ron comforting a teary-eyed Ginny. When he saw the two of the soaking wet, his face reddened and he gave the both of them a suspicious look. Hermione ignored him for the time being. She pulled out her wand and summoned two large towels. She flung one around herself and wrapped Harry in the other. Harry gave her a small grateful smile. Ron came over in a fury, and without caring that Harry was right in front of him, he said to Hermione, "What the hell are you doing with him? What were you two doing out in the rain? He cheated on my sister, Hermione! How can you take his side?"

"Honestly, Ronald, you can be so thick sometimes." Hermione spat back and stormed up to the girls dormitory where Ron couldn't follow her. There was a moment where Harry and Ron stood staring at each other. Ron was glaring and Harry's stared went right through Ron, his mind else ware with someone else. Then Harry turned and went to pack his things into his trunk and prepare for the train to take him away from the only home he'd ever known.

Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Luna sat in a compartment together on the train. Ron and Ginny nowhere to been seen. Harry didn't want to look for them. He spent the train ride gazing out the window at the mountains and meadows and lakes. His mind roamed towards Malfoy and spending sunlit days skipping stones in the lake and lying hand in hand in the meadows. He remembered the kiss they shared on the astronomy tower and he daydreamed of more kisses between them. Harry knew his day dreams had gone too far when he felt a stirring in his lap. Harry then got out one of his books and started reading.

When the Hogwarts Express arrived at platform 9 ¾, Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Luna got their trunks and got off the train. Harry caught a distant glimpse of Ginny farther down the platform. "I'll be right back guys." Harry told his friends and ran towards Ginny. Once he finally reached her, he said, "Ginny."

"Harry…" Ginny seemed surprised to see him. Harry gave her a tight hug and said, "You have a good summer…and a good year at Hogwarts next year. I won't be coming back." Ginny tried to protest but Harry put a hand firmly on her shoulder and continued. "I suspect that the Ministry and Hogwarts won't resist Voldemort's reach for very long. I want…I need you to stay safe. Stay out of trouble. The death eaters won't be-"

"What are you doing?" Ron had come along with his trunk. His face was red again. Harry decided not to push his luck with Ron's temper just yet.

Harry looked back at Ginny, "Write to me." He said and then disappeared in the crowd back to Hermione and the others. "That was very mature of you Harry." Said Hermione once Harry came back. Neville nodded and gave him a shy but reassuring smile. "Quite." Said Luna, "That would have meant a lot to her Harry. I know she's been quite torn up by the breakup. I'm sure she'd appreciate having you as a friend at least."

"That's my goal." Harry gave Luna a little smile but he couldn't make it last, for what she had just said tore a hole in his heart. He didn't want to cause Ginny pain, but he couldn't deny his true feelings. It wouldn't have been fair to either of them. "Ron hates me though."

"Don't worry about Ron right now Harry. You have bigger problems. Ron will warm up once he stops acting like a child and realizes it too. Worry about yourself." Said Hermione. Hermione was right, but Harry still felt the weight of not having Ron on his side.

Harry and Hermione hugged and said goodbye to Neville and Luna, and then passed through the barrier into Kings Cross Station. "Hm…I don't see my parents." Said Hermione squinting around the packed station. "I don't see my aunt and uncle either. They must be waiting in the car in the parking lot."

"Maybe my parents are waiting in the parking lot too." Harry and Hermione headed towards the exit together. As they were walking, they both felt a hand grab the back of their shirts. The moment Harry had decided to pull out his wand, a harsh voice whispered in his ear from behind, "Don't even think about it, boy." A flood of relief rushed through the both of them. It was Mad-Eye Moody.

Before Harry or Hermione could say a word, Moody whispered again, "Change of plans. It's too dangerous to go home. They know where you live. All members of The Order are gathering at Grimauld Place." And without warning, Moody disapparated while still gripping Harry and Hermione's shirts. All three experienced that horrible sensation of being squeezed through a rubber tube. Just when Harry thought he would surely suffocate, they were in the courtyard across from Sirius' old house. But as soon as they had apparated there, Moody shoved Harry and Hermione flat on their stomachs in the overgrown grass. Before them was a death eater standing sentry, watching for someone from The Order to do exactly what they were about to do: enter the house.

Without a word, Moody cast a spell on the death eater; _Petrificus Totalus_ by the look of it. The death eater went rigid and fell on the ground. Then Moody casted _Obliviate_ on the man and put a sack over his head. Moody stood still and looked around for a full ten minutes, then ordered Harry and Hermione to get in the house. Harry and Hermione ran across the street and the house revealed itself to them and they hurried inside.

It appeared that they were the first ones to arrive at the house. Harry and Hermione started turning on all the lights and then went down to the kitchen to wait for the others. Fifteen minutes passed before Alastor Moody entered the house. Harry stood when Moody entered the room. "What's the meaning of this, Moody? I still have a protective charm over the Dursley's house. I'd be fine there. And what about Hermione's parents? What happened to them? They'll surely be missing her."

"Sit, Potter." Ordered Moody before having a seat himself. "Yes, you still have a protective enchantment over your aunt and uncle's house but what happens when you turn 17? You'd be a sitting duck in a place where death eaters could now waltz in and kill you with a wave of their wand. And if we got you out right before the spell was broken, it would be too dangerous. You may have been safe there for now, but that doesn't mean that they're not watching. It would be near impossible to get you out of there and to safety without casualties. And it's not like you would want to go back there, Potter. They treat you like shit. As for Hermione's parents, a memory charm has been cast on them and they are now safe in Australia, unaware that they have a daughter. Does that answer all of your questions, Potter? The death eaters are watching this place but I took care of them for now. The others will be here in due time." Moody leaned back in his chair, lit a pipe, and rested his one good leg on the table.

Tears welled in Hermione's eyes and she rushed out of the room. Harry decided to follow her. Harry found Hermione in the room she always stayed in, lying on the bed she always slept in when she stayed here. Harry sat on the bed by her feet and awkwardly patted Hermione's leg. "At least they're safe, Hermione. It may not have been handled very sensitively, but it's for the best, right?"

"I know." Said Hermione, wiping tears from her eyes, "I just wish I could have seen them one last time."

"I know the feeling." Said Harry, looking at his feet.

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry. I forgot-"

"It's okay, really." Hermione sat up beside Harry and he put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. "This is a hard time for us both. The others will be sympathetic but they won't understand. You help me, I help you?"

"Of course, but Harry, who-"

Just then the door opened and Ron stepped in. Harry took his arm back and decided to leave the room. Ron's face was scarlet with fury, and for a second, he stood in Harry's way, but then he stepped aside and let him go. Harry then decided that it probably wouldn't be a good idea for him to stay in his usual room with Ron. So Harry made his way all the way up the staircase until he found Sirius's room. He decided that he wanted to sleep here where his godfather once slept.

When Harry woke, he got dressed, and left Sirius's room. He descended the stairs to kitchen to find it full. Sitting along the kitchen table were Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, Bill, Fleur, Molly, Arthur, Remus, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Moody. Moody was arguing about something with Remus, and stopped when Harry walked in. "It's about bloody time, boy." Said Moody irritably. "Sit."

Harry did as he was told and took a seat between Hermione and Ron, and started to eat the bacon and eggs that Molly set in front of him. Silence fell upon the room as everyone waited anxiously for Harry to speak. When he continued to say nothing, Remus finally said, "Harry, I apologize for this sudden change. Not all of us were consulted in this decision." Lupin's gaze switched from Harry to Moody accusingly.

Moody opened his mouth to argue, but Harry spoke first, "Don't be. The Dursley's were physically and emotionally abusive. Moody saved me from a last few weeks in hell." Harry's voice was monotonous and he didn't look at anyone when he spoke. He only looked at his half-eaten plate of breakfast. An awkward silence fell upon the room once more. No one knew whether to comfort Harry or to move forward with the meeting.

When everyone realized that Harry wasn't going to say anymore, Kingsley spoke up, "You-Know-Who has infiltrated the Ministry. That much is known. He does not have control of the Ministry as long as Rufus Scrimgeour lives. But even the minister now knows that it is only a matter of time. You-Know-Who will soon have control of the Ministry, and once that happens, he will have control of Hogwarts. We are far outnumbered. It is inevitable."

Moody stood up and started pacing along the length of the table. "Do you know what this means?" he said, "Once Voldemort has power over the government, this won't just be a war. This will be-"

"A revolution" said Fred.

"A rebellion" said George.

"Exactly!" said Moody. There was a buzz of excitement and fear.

"We need more people to fight with us. We don't stand a chance with the number of people we have now" piped in Tonks.

"We'll take care of the recruitment and publicity. We already have a plan." Said Fred, grinning at George.

"I hope you don't expect me to be the poster boy of this 'rebellion' like the Ministry wanted last year" Said Harry crossly, flicking his fork at the wall across the table. The clanging sound of the fork silenced the room again, and once again all eyes were on Harry. Moody limped over to Harry, "BOY!" Moody shouted as he slammed his fist on the table in front of Harry so hard that everyone except Harry jumped. "You have been the poster boy of the rebellion against Voldemort the SECOND you got that scar. This is your destiny. When people picture this war, they picture that pretty little face of yours, no matter what side they're on. Everyone in this room is fighting for you!"

"I NEVER asked ANYBODY to fight for me or with me! If I had it my way, I'd be going this alone. It'll all come down to me and him no matter what so you all might as well clear out, go home, stay alive, because with the way things are going now, I can guarantee that by the end of this war, this room will no longer be full. It may be empty. We may lose…I may fail." Harry found himself on his feet.

"You'll fail if you go it alone, you stupid boy." Growled Moody, "Voldemort is not by any means alone. He has hundreds of followers, and do you know why? He ASKS for them-"

"How do you know?" snapped Harry. "How do you know that they all followed him willingly and not out of fear? Fear of what Voldemort would do to them or their family. You know NOTHING-"

"ENOUGH!" Shouted Moody. He grabbed Harry by the collar and pulled him over the table so that they were nose to nose. "Now, I don't know what crawled up your ass, but I suggest you pull it out immediately. Are you a boy or a man?" Harry's face was scarlet with fury.

"He's got a girl on his mind. That's why he's being a git. That's why he dumped my sister" said Ron. His voice soft but filled with contempt.

"Ron!" cried Hermione.

"Please don't, Ron." Said Ginny quietly.

"Figures" snapped Moody. He then shoved Harry back into his chair.

"Alastor!" cried Hermione and Molly in unison.

"That's enough, Alastor!" yelled Remus. Harry sat glaring daggers at Moody. His was still red and his breathing was heavy.

"Harry are you okay?" asked Hermione, concerned. She reached out to touch his arm, but Harry wrenched himself away from her touch. He got up and stormed out of the room. A few people called after him, but Harry didn't hear them. He could only hear the pounding of his heart. Harry climbed the stairs to Sirius's room. He slammed the door behind him and started wreaking havoc in the room. Everything breakable he could find, Harry threw against the wall and watched them each shatter, while shouting curses.

Once he stopped, Harry slumped onto the floor and held his head in his hands. There was a soft knock on his door. Harry got up and opened the door to find Hermione. He said nothing and returned to his spot on the floor, and back to holding his head in his hands. Hermione entered and closed the door behind her. She walked over to where Harry was sitting and knelt down before him. "Who is it?" Hermione asked softly as if someone else could be listening in on them. Without removing his hands from his face, Harry exhaled heavily and said "Malfoy." just as softly. Hermione took a second to absorb the shock in silence so she wouldn't upset Harry any further. Then she crawled over to the wall to sit beside him. Hermione put an arm around Harry and he leaned into her embrace, tears leaking through his fingers.

"It's ok" she said comfortingly and stroked his hair. She didn't let Harry know how shocked she was. He didn't need that right now. She could clearly see that he needed a friend. Someone to tell his secret to. And in that moment, everything became clear to Hermione. It explained Harry's behavior since the night of Dumbledore's death.

Once Harry stopped crying, Hermione stood and led him to his bed and then she got on the other side of the bed. They laid together in bed, facing each other. Once they both got comfortable, Hermione said "Now, tell me what happened."

"He kissed me…on the astronomy tower…during the battle the night Dumbledore died. I thought I was in love with Ginny, but Hermione, when he kissed me…I had never felt so much joy and fear and excitement. I thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest." It all came pouring out of him. He had been holding in such a big secret. A secret that could change the fates of everyone in this rebellion to come.


End file.
